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THE NEW ROSE STORY
This luxury 4 CDs boxset
was released for the 20th anniversary of New Rose
85 songs all by
different Artists and Bands
- Over 5 hours of rock !
-44 page full colour booklet with lots of previously unreleased
pictures, liner notes and a complete discography.
LIMITED EDITION WITH BONUS CD
NEW ROSE LIVE !
10 SONGS RECORDED DURING THE 1990 AND 2000
NEW ROSE NIGHTS
Calvin Russell, Elliott Murhpy, Leroi Brothers, Red River,
The Unknowns, Alex Chilton, Chris Bailey, The Saints, Brian James
It is doubtlessly
one of the best collections of 80's indie rock.
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| " I would
never have imagined ending up signing the artists I was listening
to when I was a teenager, from Bo Diddley to Alex Chilton
and The Troggs " fondly remembers Patrick Mathé,
looking back at the history of France's most important independent
rock label. The Dammed?s " New Rose ", one of
the first and best punk single ever, was the name given to the
record shop opened in early 1980 by Patrick Mathé
and Louis Thevenon, both of them having with the experience
of Music Box record store, opened in1977, and Flamingo Records,
with only five releases behind them. It's right in the middle
of post-punk's musical explosion, called new wave for some reason
in France, that New Rose sees the light of day, an era
close to the Sixties euphoria with its numerous artists and record
labels. Located rue Pierre Sarrazin, in the middle of the Latin
Quarter, all the rock fans, journalists and artists gather to
this record shop, which then reminds of London's Rough Trade,
a shop beginning to release its own records. |
TThe future of this soon
to be label happens to be in London where journalist Giovanni
Dadamo, from The Sounds, sets up a meeting between Chris Bailey
whose Saints have just parted company with EMI, following
the release of " Prehistoric Sounds ", their
terrific third album.
A mere six months later and New Rose Records was launched.
Released as an ep only in Australia," Paralytic Tonight,
Dublin Tomorrow " is the first reference from NR's catalogue,
selling up to 5000 copies in France alone. A record label and
an enduring relationship were born. A true era of possibilities
where a few reviews, some airplay and a word to mouth ensure
a record to be pretty well sold (NR releasing up to 10 albums
a month !), the beginning of the early Eighties is the perfect
time in order to sign up many bands coming from the punk movement
and the DIY ethos. |
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A bunch
of French bands are signed on NR, Louis Thevenon, really
keen on new wave and progressive rock, taking care of that part
of the catalogue, with a band like Charles De Goal, a
kind of French Wire, paving the way for this longtime association
with French alternative rock. Patrick Mathé can
now concentrate on foreign artists. He first arrived in Boston
being introduced to The Count, The Real Kids and
The Dawgs, ie Boston?s finest, by the way of the great
Willie Loco Alexander. Doors will open for him in Austin
thanks to Joe King Carrasco. He will meet up with Roky
Erickson at his mother?s place two days after his arrival
in town; being introduced to Charlie Feathers and Memphis
legends by Tav Falco. This era also reflects a time where
hit singles were not essential in order to find their audiences,
a name being enough to rouse up some passion, from the Dead
Kennedys to The Cramps via The Gun Club, a
really unknown band in 1981 that succeeded into selling over
60000 copies of " Fire Of Love ", in France
alone. Besides the satisfaction " to see our own records
selling in our shop, the best publicity being to have one's records
in the shelves ", NR starts to export its records. First
in the UK where The Cramps, The Orson Family or
The Outcasts squat the heights of indie charts, then in
the US, with True West or Dramarama, and in later
in Germany, Italy, Australia or Japan. " It was all the
more exciting to see our records selling out all over the world
" notes Patrick Mathé. With The Cramps' "
Smell Of Female ", NR is one of the world's first
indie label to release cd formated records. In addition to the
beginning of a lasting relationship with Alex Chilton,
the mid-80?s see Patrick Mathé hanging around extensively
in Austin or Memphis clubs, looking for artists, " setting
off on an adventure without knowing who to sign, and do so in
order to make it afterwards ". From these meetings, more
often casual than formal, he'll meet Calvin Russell at
some backyard barbecue in Austin suburbia. Keeping a bright memory
of this unique and incredible musical epic for a French record
label, Patrick Mathé does not however give way
to nostalgia, any major problems, not even with Johnny Thunders,
being to blame on NR's aura. From The Saints, Willie
Loco Alexander or The Real Kids' first oddly set up
live tours to the music of genious R.Stevie Moore, LMNOP,
The Band Of Blacky Ranchette or Phil Gammage, NR's
spirit avoids any kind of classification or simplification, as
evidenced by its ad hoc and natural signatures. There is moreover
a sense of togetherness, the feeling to belong to the same musical
family irrespective of personal concerns, all the artists being
fans of other NR's artists, as in a dreamt and open musical community.
This is best evidenced by the compilation " Play New
Rose For Me " where NR's artists cover other artists.
Always there when it was needed, NR shines with an intense musical
prestige, known and appreciated all over the world, despite the
label's end under this name in 1993. This musical uprightness
is best embodied by this box sets eighty five tracks, a perfect
celebration for NR's founding date's birthday and its hundreds
of albums and singles released under this name. Play New Rose
now !
TRACKLISTING |